Deadly Blasts Strike Bhutto's Homecoming

Explosions Kill At Least 120 Near Truck Carrying Former Pakistani Prime Minister; Bhutto Unhurt

(CBS/AP)  Richard Haass, president of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, said the attack reveals "one of the fundamental realities of Pakistan today is that the government is not in total control of the country."

He said he did not think Musharraf would declare a state of emergency, noting that more serious challenges to state power have occurred recently, like the standoff between militants and police at Islamabad's Red Mosque.

Bhutto had paved her route back to Pakistan through negotiations with Musharraf, a longtime political rival whose rule she has often condemned but whose proclaimed mission to defeat Islamic extremism she shares.

Their talks yielded an amnesty covering the corruption charges that made Bhutto leave Pakistan, and could lead to them forming a political alliance seeking to unite moderates in January parliamentary elections for a fight against militants allied with al-Qaida and the Taliban.

U.S. officials are believed to still favor Musharraf, despite his sagging popularity, over his two main civilian rivals - Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, the elected premier ousted by the general in a 1999 coup and sent back into exile when he tried to return last
month.

Washington considers Musharraf a source of stability in a nuclear-armed country fighting militants along the border with Afghanistan, an area where Osama bin Laden may be hiding.

Still, amid the uncertainty that parliamentary elections will establish a U.S.-friendly government, the United States wants Pakistan to at least keep moving toward democracy - and Bhutto's return could help that goal.

Musharraf had urged Bhutto to delay her return because of political uncertainty in Pakistan, including a pending court challenge to his controversial presidential election victory this month.

The Supreme Court will rule soon on whether he was eligible to compete in the vote by the nation's lawmakers, since he also holds the post of army chief. If he is confirmed for a new five-year presidential term, Musharraf has promised to quit the military and restore civilian rule - a step critics say he should have taken earlier.

Bhutto said there was still a long way to go in political reconciliation with Musharraf, but added that she expected the court to rule in his favor. "If the court did not stop his election, it's unlikely to stop the result of that election," she said.

Musharraf has seen his popularity plunge recently, and the rapprochement with Bhutto appears aimed at salvaging his political base.

Former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Howard Schaffer told CBS News; "You have a situation where two people, who are well known to have considerable distrust for one another, are entering into some kind of arrangement. Will it last? It seems to me that it's doubtful."

"Maybe it will, and I hope it will, but I have misgivings about that," added Schaffer, who is currently Director of Studies at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.

Bhutto became leader of the Pakistan People's Party more than two decades ago after the military's 1979 execution of its founder, her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a populist prime minister still exalted by many Pakistanis as the finest leader in the country's 60-year history.

She served twice as the democratically elected primer minister between 1988 and 1996 - the first female premier in the Muslim world - but both governments fell amid allegations of corruption and misrule. After Musharraf seized power, she was charged with illegally amassing properties and bank accounts overseas while in power and she left Pakistan.

Many Pakistanis are skeptical that Bhutto can meet her promises of jobs and security.

CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports that despite her immense popularity within her own party, she is still a divisive figure in Pakistan.

"People are intelligent now, they don't buy this rubbish," said Kamran Saleen, a 38-year-old businessman who lives near Karachi airport.

The bloodshed marred what had been a jubilant day for Bhutto. She received a rapturous welcome from tens of thousands of supporters, many craning from tree branches and foot bridges to glimpse her return.

Hundreds of buses had disgorged crowds of supporters ranging from members of Pakistan's minority Christian and Hindu communities to Baluch tribesmen with flowing white turbans.

Men banged on drums, shook maracas and performed traditional dances along her planned route to the tomb of Pakistan's founding father, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, where she planned to make a speech.

Crowds chanted "Prime Minister Benazir!", showered her with flowers, and waved her party's red, black and green flags as her truck inched forward.

"I dreamt of this day for so many months, and years," Bhutto told AP Television News at the airport, after passing under a Quran held over her head as she got off the plane. "I counted the hours, the minutes and the seconds just to see this land, sky and grass. I'm so emotionally overwhelmed," she said, dressed in green with a white head scarf to match the national flag of Pakistan.

After flying in, Bhutto declared she returned to fight for democracy and to help Pakistan shake off its reputation as a hotbed of international terrorism.

"That's not the real image of Pakistan. The people that you see outside are the real image of Pakistan. These are the decent and hardworking middle-classes and working classes of Pakistan who want to be empowered so they can build a moderate, modern nation," she said.

[punjaabimund]

I am a proud and peaceful muslim. Islam is a religious of peace but these 5% bad people are in every religious. They are in muslim world as well as in west. Whole world is suffering because of them. Their religion is money and power, nothing else. In case of Benazir, I think that she herself did this act just to promote herself to become corrupt Prime Minister yet another time. Good Luck to Her with foolish people.

[brianbwb-2009]

to jerryomara

Allow me to self correct, I meant to say that intolerance is a cultural manifestation, but I did not mean it to ignore the same in America, or to limit it to middle eastern countries, only to say that, for the lack of any real rational explanation for their fear, people fall back on an irrational one, religion.

But I do say that since by far the largest number of Muslims are not Arab, you will find that Islam, like all religions, is tailored to fit the cultures that ascribe to it. It is not because they are Muslim that they fear, it is because the fear is in their culture.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by jerryomara

I understand your point, I was saying that the largest Muslim populations in the world are in fact in Asia, not the middle east, and my point was that intolerance is a cultural trait, peculiar to Middle eastern countries. They are intolerant as a result of cultural bias.

Indonesians, Malaysians, Bruneians, Muslim Singaporeans Bangladeshi, Indian and Thai Muslims on the other hand, are much more tolerant, as I said, attitudes are closer to those in the US, and since there are far and away more Asian Muslims than Arab ones, I posit that Asian Muslims are more representative of Islamic cultures as a whole.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by jerryomara

Here is a bit of surprising news, in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Gay people are well represented on TV, in sports, academia, and just about all other aspects of life. Muslim attitudes regarding homosexuality are no different from Christian attitudes, the percentages of extremists and moderates, and those only claiming it to "fit in" are the same.

I fear you are also a victim of the brainwashing that has convinced Americans that all Muslims are "Arabic savages" when such is exactly opposite of the truth. There are more Muslims in South east Asia than in the Middle East, and I, a "Black" American atheist (straight, by the way) have received nothing but respect from these people. The "Bali Bomber" types are as common as the "Tim McVeigh" types, and are condemned by the masses, even Islamic Ulama call them evil.

In short, Gay people face the same trials and tribulations as they do in the US, not more, Iran''s president is no less a homophobe than American politicians, but even he does not represent the majority of Muslims.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by singinrick,

So, Rick is back with his version of "Thou shalt not kill, unless thou art a white, capitalist, fake Christian fascist like me, then beith it cool"...

[whites111]

Singingrick,

Killing is killing whehter by suicide bombing or by missiles and aircrafts.Either side has its own way for killing. Both sides say that they target enemies but there is toll for that which is killing of civilians.

[incog-nito]

Time for Bush to invade Pakistan. It''s obvious to everybody that''s where Al Qaeda is. What are we waiting for?

[jowand]

More power to her, I hope she surves.


Posted by AJMarine1 at 09:30 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Got to go and get some ZZZZZZs don''t burn the place to the ground, have a good one.

[proof2007]

"Tank611, your answer is clueless, naove, and hardly deep. You come off sounding like every other lying Islamic spokesman on TV who says "Oh no, this is wrong. This is against Islam. We are peaceful."
Posted by robertkjjj at 07:28 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Roberrtkjjj,

Do the following verses from bible ring a bell to you?!! Don''t you think that Bush is applying the following verses?!! Could we say that Christianity is not a religion of peace,too? Or that all religions came from the same source and have pretty much the same rhetoric.

%u201CThink not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.%u201D (Matthew 10:34)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."(Matthew 11:12)

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." (Matthew 10:35)

[ajmarine1]

"That Buuhto lady is what gutsy gal, knowing what she would be going into"

Posted by jowand at 09:16 PM : Oct 18, 2007,



That''s what I was thinking.

"After flying in, Bhutto declared she returned to fight for democracy and to help Pakistan shake off its reputation as a hotbed of international terrorism."



More power to her, I hope she surves.

[jowand]

I''''m doing well, life is good; how are you doing?

Posted by AJMarine1 at 09:12 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Doing good but having trouble staying up late since I retired, used to work in a forge and was always up at 4:30 AM. Old habits sure are hard to break.

That Buuhto lady is what gutsy gal, knowing what she would be going into; and we think politics is tough in the US.

[ajmarine1]

Well said, how you doing tonight AJ?

Posted by jowand at 09:09 PM : Oct 18, 2007,

I''m doing well, life is good; how are you doing?

[jowand]

Today in Pakistan was CARNIVAL TIME Islamist style, and they (Al Quaeda) want to bring this to the USA.

[jowand]

The Romans knew the world was watching and knew that the stakes were high. If the Jews were to win their independence the whole empire would be in revolt.
Posted by AJMarine1 at 09:07 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Well said, how you doing tonight AJ?

[ajmarine1]

Why do you think the Romans killed 1,000,000 Jews around 70 AD?

Posted by jowand at 08:49 PM : Oct 18, 2007



The bull-necked emperor Nero gave two simple commands - destroy Jerusalem - level the temple. Nero picked the heavy, plodding fifty seven year old commoner, Vespasian, who would be assisted by his energetic son Titus. The conquered nations comprising the Roman Empire watched with incredulity as the Jews, single-handed, fought the Roman Goliath. Josephus was given the task to commander the Jewish forces. The Jews were so close to winning the war that Rome was forced to use her full military weight against them to insure victory. The Romans knew the world was watching and knew that the stakes were high. If the Jews were to win their independence the whole empire would be in revolt.

[ndjam]

The people are tired of being constantly oppressed by the government. That is why this has occured.

[jowand]

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."(Matthew 11:12)

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." (Matthew 10:35)


Posted by proof2007 at 08:27 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Why do you think the Romans killed 1,000,000 Jews around 70 AD?

[tnt1954]

bummer. political espionage gets hot. too hot
to handle. but, some like it hot. united sicilian
america? united spanish america? union of satanic
america? many would not approve of it.
but it''s their train set, they are the political
engineers, we''re just along for the ride. all
aboard!!!! dismount. foooorrrrrwwwwwaaarrdddd ho!
if this doesn''t make sense to you, don''t worry
about, just go on to the next question. who, what,
where, when and why. for some their''s is only
to reason why, not do and die.

[proof2007]

"Tank611, your answer is clueless, naove, and hardly deep. You come off sounding like every other lying Islamic spokesman on TV who says "Oh no, this is wrong. This is against Islam. We are peaceful."
Posted by robertkjjj at 07:28 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Roberrtkjjj,

Do the following verses from bible ring a bell to you?!! Don''t you think that Bush is applying the following verses?!! Could we say that Christianity is not a religion of peace,too? Or that all religions came from the same source and have pretty much the same rhetoric.

%u201CThink not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.%u201D (Matthew 10:34)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."(Matthew 11:12)

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." (Matthew 10:35)

[proof2007]

"Tank611, your answer is clueless, naove, and hardly deep. You come off sounding like every other lying Islamic spokesman on TV who says "Oh no, this is wrong. This is against Islam. We are peaceful."
Posted by robertkjjj at 07:28 PM : Oct 18, 2007

Roberrtkjjj,

Do the following verses from bible ring a bell to you?!! Don''t you think that Bush is applying the following verses?!! Could we say that Christianity is not a religion of peace,too? Or that all religions came from the same source and have pretty much the same rhetoric.

%u201CThink not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.%u201D (Matthew 10:34)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."(Matthew 11:12)

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." (Matthew 10:35)